Lotions/ Creams -Jergens - Skin Firming Moisturizer
luciaq 5/16/2013 7:12:00 PM
Don't use this product if it is more than 3-4 years old! I found an old bottle of this in my cabinet and tried it on my hand. Parts of my hand instantly became red probably due to irritation, and I had to wash it off. Two days later I tried it again and this time it gave my hands tiny bumps and "age spots" look. I was horrified. I'm sure the original product wasn't bad before expiry, but steer clear if the bottle is too old !!! However since Jergens did not print expiry date anywhere, we can only guess, or test it on ourselves...
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Lotions/ Creams -Jergens - Skin Smoothing Lotion
luciaq 5/16/2013 7:04:00 PM
This is an okay lotion but slightly below expectation. The smell is very pleasant and it feels all right, however it is less moisturizing than other brands such as Nivea, Olay, Vaseline. Also the time it takes to absorb the product can be interesting. I used some before bed and the next morning my skin was still slightly moist and sticky due to the lotion.
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Primer/ Corrector -E.L.F. - Mineral Infused Face Primer
luciaq 5/16/2013 12:00:00 PM
PRO: applies evenly and feels very smooth on face. CON: (1) did not combat flaky dryness as promised; (2) made my face break out a little; (3) nightmare pump is so short in length (it reaches down only to the bottom of the cap) so it fails to reach 95% of the product in the bottle, I had to use popsicle stick to scrape product out.
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Gels/Soaps -Nivea - Creme Soft Beauty Bar
luciaq 5/10/2013 4:43:00 PM
I rarely give 1 star review but this is a ridiculously weird product. this soap lathers okay, smells okay, but right after the rinse with water, I have trouble running my finger along my skin, it's like being sticky without actually feeling sticky. Definitely don't recommend it for this uncomfortable feeling.
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Tinted Moisturizer -E.L.F. - Studio Tinted Moisturizer
SPF 20
luciaq 5/8/2013 4:31:00 PM
It's an okay product that sometimes works nice. Coverage is very light. It is non-greasy and beats similar Garnier & L'Oreal BB creams this way. As for the application, it always applies smoothly on my forehead but becomes powdery on my chin. This is probably due to skin oilyness but so far I haven't figured out the golden rule. Finally, the color Nude 83222 #20629 is VERY ORANGE. Too orange even for my Asian skin. I can only use it on darker parts of my face otherwise it will show up orange. I don't believe anyone would have skin color that orange.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - Disco Ball
luciaq 4/29/2013 6:39:00 PM
The glitter damaged my nails when I was removing it! I usually remove by rubbing acetone cotton pads against my nail, and that rubbing action with the glitter pieces virtually "sandpapered" my nail surface. My nails lost the natural shine and I'm waiting for better nail to grow out again. other notes: - the look is actually very nice, it is a holographic rainbow colored glitter, subtle enough to look cool while enhancing the look of my hand. - feels like sandpaper once applied on nails. umm. - chipping occurs since day 1, but seems only to chip on nails. When I used the nail polish on my cellphone or notebook, it stays on fine. - the glitter pieces are actually quite large and thick. In low light I can sometimes see the "side" of the glitter pieces instead of the surface, which is not ideal.
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Lipstick -Almay - Almay Hydracolor Lipstick
luciaq 4/15/2013 11:05:00 PM
Many years ago I bought this in soft orchid shade. By the name you would expect some kind of pink/red color, and the color sticker shows a watermelon red. However the actual lipstick color is a disgusting orange-brown which looks horrible on me, like a mature woman who has been worn out by the toils of life. The texture doesn't help either, it goes on super shiny. Not a hydrated look, but rather an strange fake shine . I just found this in my old stash and will discard it instantly.
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Lipstick -Maybelline - Color Whisper
luciaq 4/10/2013 12:01:00 PM
I have the Rose of Attraction, a MLBB style lipstick with a very pretty rose-pink color. Pro: - The color is very pretty and looks natural. - It applies easy, is decently moisturizing and feels weightless on lips, never flaky, nor heavy. - packaging is ultra-cute, looks elegant, feels great in hand Con: - 2-hr wear time (or sometimes just 30min, for no reason) so I had to constantly reapply. - The amount of product (.11oz) is much less than other lipsticks (.13 - .15 oz). It is a slim tube and the actual usable part is 2cm, that's like less than 1/3 of the whole length. One lipstick doesn't last long, and it doesn't justify the price in Canada ($8-11).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -L'Oreal - Star Secrets Kerrys Rosewood 225
luciaq 4/9/2013 10:08:00 AM
This is a very sheer nude color with obvious glitter pieces. I use it more as a "top lip coat" rather than a lipstick. When I use it on top of a intense red lipstick it slightly tones down that intense color and the glitter looks cute and a bit more subtle this way. I didn't feel the grittiness that people complained about.
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Lipstick -Maybelline - Color Whisper-Rose of Attraction
luciaq 4/9/2013 9:56:00 AM
Rose of Attraction is a MLBB style lipstick, very adequately named for its rose-pink color. The "attraction" comes from the pink color which looks very sweet but not naive or cheap. Pro: - The color is very pretty and looks natural. - It applies easy, is decently moisturizing and feels weightless on lips, never flaky, nor heavy. - packaging is ultra-cute, looks elegant and chic, feels great in hand Con: - 2-hr wear time - The amount of product (.11oz) is much less than other lipsticks (.13 - .15 oz). It is a slim tube and the actual usable part is 2cm, that's like less than 1/3 of the whole length. One lipstick doesn't last long and it really doesn't justify the price in Canada ($8-11).
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Sex in the City Eau de Parfum
luciaq 4/7/2013 8:37:00 PM
I have the light-green KISS perfume I bought out of curiosity, for $6 CDN. It's a very generic cheap perfume smell, no floral or fruity notes at all, just perfume scent. There's no base note in the perfume, which means the staying power is at most 2 hours. With a huge bulky bottle of 100mL, it's not possible to carry it anywhere. I don't want to wear this scent on myself, but it's nice as a perfumed spray for clothes, i.e. on pyjamas, and it's actually fun to wake up smelling this in the morning.
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Moisturizers -Garnier - Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream
luciaq 3/25/2013 12:03:00 AM
Excellent product, the closes to my HG ideal so far. It absorbs ultra-fast and leaves a moisture barrier on skin without leaving any residues! Moisturizing ability is good even during winter -20C, although on dry skin you'll need another moisturizer to cover up. Another big bonus for me is the alcohol ingredient in there which helps with acne prone skin. The smell is fresh but it does also smell of alcohol once you stick a finger into it. This product does not help with oil-control, meanwhile, it doesn't block pores at all. The oily part of my face can still becomes oily but the oil penetrates effortlessly through the moisture barrier and is easily removed by blotting. Now I want to whine about the price. I bought a jar in Boston for $7 and it's imported from Montreal. Then, in Montreal it costs up to $13 (or $15 after tax)... what's with that? update Apr 2013: this worked for me in winter but not in spring, odd. Now it dries out my skin and encourages breakouts so I've switched over to a very thick Cliniderm cream instead.
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Gels/Soaps -Nivea - Creme Soft
luciaq 3/24/2013 11:44:00 PM
Decent body wash product that's very reasonably priced. It lathers well, rinses clean, scent is light and fresh, well, that's everything you can ask a body wash to do. It didn't do anything for my acne besides clean my skin well, so no, it's not a miracle product. I also have a feeling that its soapiness is slightly less than average, which makes it easy to rinse.
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Lotions/ Creams -Garnier - Intensive 7 Days Conditioning Lotion
luciaq 3/24/2013 11:39:00 PM
The shea butter lotion (for extra-dry skin) is non-greasy and just the right thickness that's easy to apply. It absorbs within 20-30seconds on my hand. After absorption I can see my skin has a bit of the oily look but it does not feel greasy at all at anytime. The smell is very strong and controversial though. I personally like the initial smell, which is on the pleasant side but the smell that lingers is artificial and chemical. Smell before you buy! otherwise I'd say this is a pretty good body/hand lotion.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Galderma - Epiduo (aka Tactuo in Canada)
luciaq 3/8/2013 10:56:00 PM
Use with Caution! see my update 3 months after treatment -------Early Dec 2012, right after my treament is over ---------------- This is something I call a miracle product. I've had acne continuously since I was 13 years old. For years I've tried various cleansers, medications, treatments and virtually gave up on treating it. But now I'm on week 8 of the treatment and it cleared up all existing acne, blackheads, blocked greasy pores from my face (excpect for 1 acne where I missed to apply). I can see that my pores are all clear (although probably a tiny bit larger) and my skin is going to be much LESS prone to acne for the future. ***to new users of the stuff: well, the first 4-6 weeks fo the treatment are virtually hell, and it's normal. As the skin gets used to the ingredient (adapalene) you're going to see excessive drying, flaking, sensitive skin, extra breakout even in uncommon places. Just keep on using it. And cover the entire affected area, not spot-apply. ***second note about Differin vs. Epiduo(aka. Tactuo). I have used both and recommend Epiduo. Both have the same main ingredient Adapalene which works deeply in the skin to open up the pore. The difference is that Epiduo has some extra benzoyl peroxide which works on the skin surface to kill bacteria quickly. My doctor recommended epiduo over differin for me because I've taken many acne oral antibiotics in the past and the bacteria might have developed some resistance to the antibiotics. *** note 3 about the cost: this is a tube of 60g costing around $110 CAD. It's easier if you have medical insurance coverage. One tube should be just enough to cover most of the face for a 8-week treatment (1g/day) -------------update early March, 2013 -------------------------- Tactuo has indeed changed my skin. For the past 3 months or so I waited happily and patiently for acne scars to go away. There would be occasional acne but I was always able to suppress it within 2 days with acne facial wash plus a night application of my left-over tactuo. However Tactuo did change my acne-prone-but-otherwise-good skin into problem skin with sensitive and dry patches on cheeks, and I fear it's permanent change. Now I have to be ultra careful with all the facial wash and lotion products. seems like the initial treatment side-effects (or should I say damages) remained even months after I stopped it. Last week I had a major breakout and Tactuo did not help this time even though I've been using it every night for a week. probably because I stopped taking oral antibiotics 3 months ago. or maybe acne just need a "breakout" once in a while and nothing can control. good luck everyone. if anything new comes up in my case I'll return and add to this review again. oh and just a tip: you may want to try apply tactuo only on areas you have considerable acne. I applied it over my entire face , but the areas with few acne became too sensitive and dry from the medication. -------------update April 2013 -------------------------- used Cliniderm cream to calm down my dry patches of skin. And I'm back to the occasional acne now. No longer using Tactuo to control breakout but instead use L'Oreal 360 anti-breakout facial cleanser (the kind that comes with a facial cleansing pad). Surprisingly the cleanser keeps my occasional acne at bay.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No